Chapter 27


Moderators: Omphalos, Freakzilla, ᴶᵛᵀᴬ

Post Reply
User avatar
Freakzilla
Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
Posts: 18449
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 01:27
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Contact:

Chapter 27

Post by Freakzilla »

As each day passes, you become increasingly unreal, more alien and remote from
what I find myself to be on that new day. I am the only reality and, as you
differ from me, you lose reality. The more curious I become, the less curious
are those who worship me. Religion suppresses curiosity. What I do subtracts
from the worshipper. Thus it is that eventually I will do nothing, giving it all
back to frightened people who will find themselves on that day alone and forced
to act for themselves.

-The Stolen Journals

After an uneventfull night with Siona, Duncan is brought beneath Onn where he meets Leto for Siayanoq. He questions Leto again about what happened to his predecessor, Leto says he died because he was too close to himself. Of course, this doesn't satisfy Duncan. They begin their walk to the cerimonoy, Leto explains that they will all share waffers that contain a little spice, not like the Orange Catholic ritual, it is not his flesh, simply a reminder that they are all female, like Duncan is all male, but Leto is both. They emerge into a chamber eleven-hundred meters square, packed with three Fish Speakers from each planet. He's amazed at the awe and adoration expressed by the women and how and why Leto had done this. He senses the power in the room and it makes him tremble. He remembers a talk with Leto about his army, males give their loyalty to the army itself rather than its civilization, a female army gives loyalty to their leader. He feels that Leto is offering him a part of this and the temptation is monstrous. Leto puts Duncan on the spot and forces him to declare loyalty in front of the Fish Speakers. At the end of the cerimony Leto and Duncan pass throught the crowd who reach out to touch them as they pass. He felt the restrained passion in their touch and it was the deepest fear he'd ever felt.
User avatar
Freakzilla
Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
Posts: 18449
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 01:27
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Contact:

Re: Chapter 27

Post by Freakzilla »

No Revisions.
Image
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
JasterMereel
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Jun 2016 06:30

Re: Chapter 27

Post by JasterMereel »

"My houris often submit to a form of rape at first only to convert this into a deep and binding mutual dependence."

"Dammit! You're..."

"Binding, Duncan! Binding."
This seems to be the beginning of sexual imprinting. I never paid attention to the importance of Siaynoq on my first run through, besides its obvious symbolic representation of Leto's power.
JasterMereel
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Jun 2016 06:30

Re: Chapter 27

Post by JasterMereel »

Also, why was Duncan so afraid? Is it because of his natural distrust for religious power? Or the simple fear of making a wrong move or gesture in front of thousands of lethal women?

I always think the latter, but given his constant distaste for Leto's use of his religious mantle it could've been a deep-seated disgust at being the object of such adulation.
georgiedenbro
Posts: 1035
Joined: 11 Jun 2014 13:56
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Chapter 27

Post by georgiedenbro »

JasterMereel wrote:
"My houris often submit to a form of rape at first only to convert this into a deep and binding mutual dependence."

"Dammit! You're..."

"Binding, Duncan! Binding."
This seems to be the beginning of sexual imprinting. I never paid attention to the importance of Siaynoq on my first run through, besides its obvious symbolic representation of Leto's power.
I agree that Siaynoq is very important for the series. No spoilers here, but in books five and six we are indirectly given more specifics on what Siaynoq entails in various ways. The aspect of it which amounts to "binding" seems in GeoD to go beyond enslaving and instead suggests something forced and yet desirable. I think this was going to be a very important part of Dune 7.
Last edited by georgiedenbro on 30 Jun 2016 11:28, edited 1 time in total.
"um-m-m-ah-h-h-hm-m-m-m!"
georgiedenbro
Posts: 1035
Joined: 11 Jun 2014 13:56
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Chapter 27

Post by georgiedenbro »

JasterMereel wrote:Also, why was Duncan so afraid? Is it because of his natural distrust for religious power? Or the simple fear of making a wrong move or gesture in front of thousands of lethal women?
My reading of it is that he is overwhelmed by the psychological and physical power of all of that focus and adulation from so many, focused so tightly all in one direction. Part of it is no doubt the shock of realizing how much power can be invested in one person if hordes of people invest it in that direction, and another is the terror of realizing that that power is a horrible danger and responsibility that is probably too scary to be allowed to exist. Leto's forced bond - his Siaynoq - is not only between him and the Fish Speakers, but mirrored in the relationship between him and the entire Empire. It's a great, but terrible, setup, when so many are bonded to one. I think this speaks to a larger theme in the series, which is that while bonding is important, to have many - or all - bonded to one person, is disastrous, whereas one person bonded to one can create benefits. Can't say more without referencing the last two books! But let's just say I think Siaynoq as Leto conducted it is at least in part meant to be a lesson to the BG in how to employ Siaynoq (loyalty that binds) properly, and also how not to do it.
"um-m-m-ah-h-h-hm-m-m-m!"
JasterMereel
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Jun 2016 06:30

Re: Chapter 27

Post by JasterMereel »

georgiedenbro wrote:
JasterMereel wrote:Also, why was Duncan so afraid? Is it because of his natural distrust for religious power? Or the simple fear of making a wrong move or gesture in front of thousands of lethal women?
My reading of it is that he is overwhelmed by the psychological and physical power of all of that focus and adulation from so many, focused so tightly all in one direction. Part of it is no doubt the shock of realizing how much power can be invested in one person if hordes of people invest it in that direction, and another is the terror of realizing that that power is a horrible danger and responsibility that is probably too scary to be allowed to exist. Leto's forced bond - his Siaynoq - is not only between him and the Fish Speakers, but mirrored in the relationship between him and the entire Empire. It's a great, but terrible, setup, when so many are bonded to one. I think this speaks to a larger theme in the series, which is that while bonding is important, to have many - or all - bonded to one person, is disastrous, whereas one person bonded to one can create benefits. Can't say more without referencing the last two books! But let's just say I think Siaynoq as Leto conducted it is at least in part meant to be a lesson to the BG in how to employ Siaynoq (loyalty that binds) properly, and also how not to do it.
It's nice to have someone who picks up more on detail than myself respond. Everything you said makes sense given that Leto II was forever teaching lessons during his rule, and after.
Post Reply